KaarenJordan.com http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress Saddling Fitting Success Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:07:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Kaaren’s Product Pick Of The Month For May 2012… “Wet Noses” Doggy Delirious Bones Review http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/321/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-may-2012%e2%80%a6-wet-noses-doggy-delirious-bones-review/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/321/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-may-2012%e2%80%a6-wet-noses-doggy-delirious-bones-review/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:07:33 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=321 Last month I found a new natural dog treat at our local helath food store made by Wet Noses. These bone shaped biscuits come in Peanut Butter & Apple Cinnamon flavors. They are made in the US with US grown human grade all natural fresh ingredients using no soy, wheat, corn, or preservatives.

Cassie and Will adore them cleaning up every last crumb.

Contact :

Wet Noses, Inc.
info@wet-noses.com

(866)938-6673

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/321/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-may-2012%e2%80%a6-wet-noses-doggy-delirious-bones-review/feed/ 0 Kaaren’s Product Pick Of The Month For APRIL 2012…”The Honest Kitchen”: “Ice Pups” Review http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/319/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-april-2012%e2%80%a6%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%9d-ice-pups-review/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/319/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-april-2012%e2%80%a6%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%9d-ice-pups-review/#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:44:53 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=319 “Ice Pups” by The Honest Kitchen is another great addition to your dogs food & treat plan. As the name implies, the mixture can be frozen into “pupsicles” for your dog to enjoy during the warmer months. It can also do double duty anytime as a gravy over their meals warm or cold. All you do is add water to the desired consistency , stir to mix and it’s ready to serve.

I make our “gravy” with some leftover homemade chicken broth and watch Cassie & Will’s meal dissappear.

The ingredients are all human grade, salt and grain free, so a very versatile, healthy addition to enhance palatibilty for those finicky eaters as well as just adding something different.

BTW, for those who have been following the Blogs on The Honest Kitchen formulas, Cassie & Will are still loving the Keen alternating with pureed Force meals. Their coats look great and the dental specialist we use said their teeth and gums look better than they ever have. Best of all, they have no gas, their stool is well formed and they love their meals. I feel better knowing that the formulas are all human grade and balanced to keep my pups healthy.

Stay tuned for next months Blog,

Kaaren, Cassie & Will.

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/319/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-april-2012%e2%80%a6%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%9d-ice-pups-review/feed/ 0 Kaaren’s Product Pick Of The Month For MARCH 2012…”The Honest Kitchen”…Cassie & Will’s Review Part 3: http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/316/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-march-2012%e2%80%a6the-honest-kitchen-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review-part-3/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/316/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-march-2012%e2%80%a6the-honest-kitchen-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review-part-3/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:19:55 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=316 After receiving my new food processor, I gradually added “The Honest Kitchen’s” Force formula pureed to Cassie & Will’s diet. Both dogs seem to be doing as well with the pureed Force as with the Keen formula, and clean their bowls, so it’s a keeper.

The only downside for me is spending the extra time pureeing the Force in my food processor, but for most dogs, the chunkier formula should not be an issue. Force is more expensive than the Keen recipe, so for some families with larger dogs it would not be as cost effective as Keen.

Honest Kitchens staff told me later this year, they would be coming out with a new formula, but until then my dogs are happily eating Keen alternating with pureed Force.

Cassie & Will’s review of “The Honest Kitchen’s” Force & Keen stands at all paws up!

Stay tuned for next months Blog.

Kaaren, Cassie & Will

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/316/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-march-2012%e2%80%a6the-honest-kitchen-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review-part-3/feed/ 0 Kaaren’s Product Pick Of The Month For February 2012….”The Honest Kitchen”……..Cassie & Will’s Review Part 2: http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/313/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-february-2012%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%9d%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review-part-2/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/313/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-february-2012%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%9d%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review-part-2/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:00:48 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=313 It’s a few months since I started feeding The Honest Kitchens recipes to Cassie & Will and they are continuing to do really well with the Keen that I add fresh meat and fresh veggie purees to. Their coats are glossy and they truly love their meals.

I gradually added the Force formula to their meal plans over a two week period alternating every other day with the Keen recipe, but my senior whippets could not handle the recipe. Both Cassie & Will had loose stool ongoing and some gas. They loved the Force recipe though cleaning their bowls and begging for more. After switching back to just Keen, their stools returned to normal within a few days with no gas.

The wonderful Honest Kitchen staff suggested I try pureeing the Force recipe after soaking to make it easier on my whippet’s senior digestive tracts since it is a chunkier/coarser blend than the Keen. The next day I tried this & the formula was too thick for my blender, so I have a food processor on the way to follow their recommendation.

Stay tuned next month for an update on how my whippets do with the pureed Force formula.

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/313/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-february-2012%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%9d%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review-part-2/feed/ 0 Kaaren’s Product Pick Of The Month For JANUARY 2012….”The Honest Kitchen”……..Cassie & Will’s Review: http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/309/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-january-2012%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/309/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-january-2012%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:25:12 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=309 Well… we’re over a month down the road feeding “The Honest Kitchen’s” Keen recipe to Cassie & Will in place of their homecooked meals. Both dogs adore the Keen recipe and with all the holiday chaos, the ease of making the Honest Kitchens food has really helped me a lot.

Even though the instructions say to add just water, I prefer to use fresh chicken or turkey broth for extra flavor. They say to allow the well stirred mixture sit for 10-15 minutes before serving, but my dogs do better with it soaked longer. I also add fresh cooked chicken, turkey or beef to each serving along with whatever fresh pureed veggies I have on hand. Both dogs lick their bowls clean begging for more at each meal. As far as Cassie & Will are concerned, it’s a 4 paws up!

I was surprised with how good both dogs stool was right off the bat..with zero gas or digestive issues. Since they have been enjoying homecooked meals for so long, the transition wasn’t a problem at all for either.

I’m branching out into the chunkier “Force” recipe this month to alternate with the Keen, so will see how both dogs do with it.

Hoping HK comes out with a chicken version of the Keen recipe next year because it is a lot more economical than Force.

The dogs are doing so well with Honest Kitchen Keen and I’m happy to spend a little less time in the kitchen, that we’re going to try feeding The Honest Kitchen’s recipes for a few more months to see how they do over the long haul.

Stay tuned for next months holistic animal product review.

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/309/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-january-2012%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dthe-honest-kitchen%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6-cassie-will%e2%80%99s-review/feed/ 0 Kaaren’s Product Pick Of The Month For December 2011….”Great Life ” Freeze Dried Kibble……..Cassie & Will’s Review: http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/304/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-december-2011%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dgreat-life-%e2%80%9d-freeze-dried-kibble-cassie-wills-review/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/304/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-december-2011%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dgreat-life-%e2%80%9d-freeze-dried-kibble-cassie-wills-review/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:07:25 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=304 Well “Great Life” kibble was not the hit for Cassie and Will that I hoped it would be. Both left most of the kibble in their bowls even when I soaked it in their favorite homemade chicken or turkey broth and added bits of fresh cooked turkey or chicken. Cassie who we affectionately refer to as “hog dog” because she will eat just about anything pretty much went on a hunger strike no matter what I added. On paper “Great Life” kibble looks wonderful, but neither of my whippets liked it..so back to the drawing board in search of a high quality kibble they will eat.

I do prefer to homecook for my whippets, but when we go on vacation, I like to have an alternative to either tote with us for hotel feeding or if the dogs stay at home for our pet sitter to easily feed. The Honest Kitchens recipes may just be the ticket for emergencies and for travel.

Stay tuned for next months holistic animal product review.

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/304/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-december-2011%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9dgreat-life-%e2%80%9d-freeze-dried-kibble-cassie-wills-review/feed/ 0 KAAREN’S PRODUCT PICK OF THE MONTH FOR NOVEMBER 2011….”GREAT LIFE ” FREEZE DRIED KIBBLE http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/300/kaarens-product-pick-of-the-month-for-november-2011-great-life-freeze-dried-kibble/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/300/kaarens-product-pick-of-the-month-for-november-2011-great-life-freeze-dried-kibble/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:41:40 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=300 After much unsuccessful searching the internet & scouring pet stores across Central and Southern California for a natural kibble I felt comfortable recommending, a friend in Los Angeles suggested I look into “Great Life” freeze dried kibble formulas. She has been feeding this product to her Belgian Shepards and Pomerian for a few years now with very good results. Sharon does add fresh homemade chicken broth, a small amount of brown rice as well as some homecooked chicken to round out their meals. Her veterinarian looked at the formulas when she first started feeding “Great Life”and gave it the two thumbs up. Sharon says her dogs all give “Great Life” kibble the 4 paws up..which is the most important endorsement of all!!

According to the website, “Great Life” uses only the highest grade US grown meats, fruits, whole grains and veggies with vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, salmon oil & probiotics added to balance the formulas. The kibbles undergo a unique manufacturing process in a high grade US facility that saturates each piece evenly with all the nutrients. The kibbles come in both grain and grain-free formulas featuring several different protein bases.

What impressed me the most, was that there were no “natural flavorings”, potato or “pea products” in any of the grain or grain-free formulas. The ratios of grain to protein in the grain formulas are also moderate..so all in all, on paper these formulas look pretty good to me. The same company also offers limited ingredient formulas, a lower price point line, as well as canned food, so there’s something for everyone. All ingredients AND batches are also tested by an independant lab for numerous molds and toxins. Best of all, since they first started up in 1996, there have been NO RECALLS of any of their products..which is more than what 80% of the other dry kibbles on the market can state. I also called a highly regarded local doggie day care who sells “Great Life” and the owner told me they have been selling it and feeding it to all their doggie day care/boarding clients for about 5 years with no issues whatsoever.

Finally after questioning the manager in the Simi Valley, Ca. corporate offices at length, I felt confident enough to do a trial at home with my two whippets. In order to give this product a proper test run, I’ve ordered one bag of each “Great Life” formula in the chicken base that Cassie & William Whippet do well with intending to mix with fresh chicken and turkey, homemade broths and a small amount of their favorite brown rice or oatmeal with the grain free formula.

Since my two whippets do well with small amounts of a variety of well cooked grains, I think if the “Great Life” formulas agree with them I will end up feeding the grain free kibble soaked in turkey/chicken broth mixed with fresh cooked chicken and turkey and fresh cooked grains so I can rotate the grains Cassie & Will like…just as I do for my husband & I.

For More Information Contact:

Great Life Performance Products
(805) 577-9663
www.doctorsfinest.com

……….Stay tuned next month for Cassie & Will’s review. of “Great Life” Kibble

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/300/kaarens-product-pick-of-the-month-for-november-2011-great-life-freeze-dried-kibble/feed/ 0 Kaaren’s Product Pick Of the Month For October 2011: The Honest Kitchen…another option for healthy meals your dogs will enjoy. http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/297/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-october-2011-the-honest-kitchen%e2%80%a6another-option-for-healthy-meals-your-dogs-will-enjoy/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/297/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-october-2011-the-honest-kitchen%e2%80%a6another-option-for-healthy-meals-your-dogs-will-enjoy/#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:05:13 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=297 There is much controversy on what “healthy” diet is best for your dogs. Some camps prefer no grain, some tout all raw, some prefer kibble with fresh foods added and still others recommend home cooking from scratch. In the end what you choose will depend on your dog’s individual needs, the time you have to prepare foods and of course your budget. Always listen to the feedback your dog gives you.

Whatever route you choose to go, just make sure that the vitamin & mineral supplements are formulated to balance what you are feeding or are already added to the dog food you buy. Having an appropriate calcium to phosphorus ratio is key to your dogs health…and remember too much, too little or inappropriately balanced supplements can cause problems for your dog. They do have different nutritional needs than humans that need to be considered.

The Honest Kitchen recipes are a bridge between the all raw diet and all home cooked meals with grain, offering minimally processed, 100% human-grade dehydrated dog & cat food that you can make in minutes in your own home. All you need to do is add water or broth and stir. Many people add fresh cooked or raw animal protein and/or veggies to the meals. What I love is that the vitamins and minerals are already balanced within each recipe for your peace of mind.

The Honest Kitchen has nine dog meal recipes to choose from featuring both grain and grain free formulations available in turkey, chicken, beef and fish based meals. They also offer healthy dog treats and additional supplements for special needs.

One of my whippets, Cassie, loves the Force formula best out of the four we tried so far, but my other whippet Will, prefers the homecooked meal recipes by Furoshnikov’s I mentioned in last months Blog. Cassie who I affectionately call “Hog Dog”, will eat either in a heartbeat. I did find that for my senior Cassie, I needed to hydrate the meals longer than the directions recommended and then blend so she could digest the food better…ie., no bits of undigested food in her stool. These meals are a great help for those who feed all raw and travel with their dogs, because all you do is add water.

The only downside to The Honest Kitchen meals is the cost for those that have large dogs, but that can be remedied by adding more fresh protein, veggies and grains using less of The Honest Kitchens meals.

Contact information:

The Honest Kitchen

(866) 4-DRY-RAW

www.thehonestkitchens.com

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/297/kaaren%e2%80%99s-product-pick-of-the-month-for-october-2011-the-honest-kitchen%e2%80%a6another-option-for-healthy-meals-your-dogs-will-enjoy/feed/ 0 Kaaren’s Product Pick Of the Month For September 2011: Furoshnikov’s Formulas…simple ways to cook from scratch for your dogs. http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/293/kaarens-product-pick-of-the-month-for-september-2011-furoshnikovs-formulas-simple-ways-to-cook-from-scratch-for-your-dogs/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/293/kaarens-product-pick-of-the-month-for-september-2011-furoshnikovs-formulas-simple-ways-to-cook-from-scratch-for-your-dogs/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:00:47 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=293 After years of failed trial & error trying to make homemade meals for my dogs, I finally found a balanced, cost effective, easy to make recipe with the vitamins & minerals formulated for the recipe.

Foroshnikov’s Formulas help people to feed their canine friends a complete and balanced diet using minimally processed and preservative free whole foods. The owner, Joanne, worked with a veterinary nutritionist to design the recipes and to formulate a vitamin & mineral mix to balance the easy to prepare meals. The recipes are quick to fix, cost only pennies more than the commercial dry foods, and most importantly, my two whippets LOVE them. Cassie & Will lick their bowls clean and then come up to kiss me after each meal.

I gradually transitioned them to a whole foods diet following Joanne’s suggestions and neither dog had any digestive issues . Their stools were well formed and they had no gas from day one. Before I actually bought our first jar of the Vitamin & Mineral Mix, I spoke with Joanne at length about how she formulated the recipes and supplement powder and found her a delight to speak with. She spent close to 45 minutes on the phone with me, never trying to “sell” me her product, just answering all my questions in a clear concise manner. She even recommended a book on home cooked meals for dogs should I decide not to follow her recipes. Much to my surprise, my first order arrived within days of our conversation. Joanne truly loves dogs, has done a lot of research and is passionate about her product…a winning combination!

We’re all hooked on her products. My only regret is that I did not find Furoshnikov’s Formula sooner.

Cassie & Will give it the 4 paws up!!

Contact Information:

Furoshnikov’s Formulas

www.cookforyourdog.com

(612)388-2315

]]> http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/293/kaarens-product-pick-of-the-month-for-september-2011-furoshnikovs-formulas-simple-ways-to-cook-from-scratch-for-your-dogs/feed/ 0 KAAREN’S PRODUCT PICK OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST 2011…EQUINE SLIPPER’S, a “spare tire” for the trail. http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/290/kaarens-product-pick-of-the-month-for-august-2011-equine-slippers-a-spare-tire-for-the-trail/ http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/290/kaarens-product-pick-of-the-month-for-august-2011-equine-slippers-a-spare-tire-for-the-trail/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:45:36 +0000 Kaaren http://kaarenjordan.com/wordpress/?p=290 With all the wonderful summer weather and longer days, most of us trail riders are taking longer and more frequent trail rides. The inevitable lost shoe can really put a wrench into the ride and can damage the hoof, possibly sidelining you for weeks if you don’t have appropriate back up on hand.

My favorite “spare tire” is Equine Slipper’s cordura, breathable, padded top, 1/4″ leather sole hoof boot. It comes in 4 sizes to fit wide range of hooves and folds into an easy to carry, light weight flat disc. Although the company states it is not for use during exercise, I have used them several times for a 1 hour hand walk/walk home.

I also carry a small roll of duct tape & Vet Wrap to first wrap the hoof and then tape the hoof before putting the boot on. Make sure to wrap it thick enough to both protect the hoof/sole and allow the hoof to fit snuggly inside the boot preventing turning.

Before I pack the Equine Slipper into my trail emergency bag, I cut to fit an EZ Boot rubber hoof boot insert to further cushion the sole.

The best pricing I have found is through: www.doversaddlery.com at $39.90 per single boot.

Happy Trails,

Kaaren

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